What is web hosting?
By Tom · Last reviewed · 5 minute read
Web hosting is a service that stores your website's files (code, images, databases and so on) on a server connected to the internet, so people can visit your site 24 hours a day. Without hosting, your website would only exist on your own computer and nobody else could see it. Good UK hosting for a small business typically costs £10 to £50 a month.
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How web hosting works
Hosting is simpler than you might think.
- You create your website. A website is made up of files: code, images, stylesheets and possibly a database. These files need to be stored somewhere people can reach them.
- The files go on a server. A hosting provider gives you space on their server, a powerful computer that's always connected to the internet. Your website's files live there.
- Your domain points to the server. Your domain name (like webcardiff.co.uk) is pointed at your hosting server, which tells browsers where to find your website when someone types in your address.
- Visitors load your site. When someone visits, their browser asks your hosting server for the files. The server sends them back and the browser displays your site, all in a fraction of a second.
Types of web hosting explained
Different types of hosting suit different needs and budgets.
Shared hosting (£3 to £15 a month)
Your website shares a server's resources (processing power, memory, storage) with many other websites. It's like living in a block of flats: affordable, but you share the facilities.
- Pros: the cheapest option, easy to set up, fine for small sites.
- Cons: slower, limited resources, and other sites on the server can affect yours.
- Best for: personal blogs, hobby sites and very small businesses just starting out.
VPS hosting (£15 to £80 a month)
A virtual private server gives you your own set of resources on a shared physical server. It's like having your own flat in a building: more privacy and control.
- Pros: your own resources, better performance, more control, easy to scale.
- Cons: needs more technical knowledge, and costs more than shared hosting.
- Best for: growing businesses, sites with moderate traffic, and online shops.
Dedicated hosting (£80 to £300+ a month)
You rent a whole physical server just for your website. It's like owning your own house: complete control and maximum resources.
- Pros: maximum performance, full control, the most secure option, no sharing.
- Cons: the most expensive, needs technical expertise, and is overkill for most sites.
- Best for: large businesses, high-traffic sites and applications with specific requirements.
Cloud hosting (pay for what you use)
Your website runs across many connected servers, and resources scale up and down automatically. It's like having access to several properties that expand as you need them.
- Pros: highly scalable, you pay for what you use, very reliable, no single point of failure.
- Cons: costs can be unpredictable, and it can be complex to manage.
- Best for: sites with variable traffic, businesses expecting growth, and online shops during sales.
Managed WordPress hosting (£15 to £50 a month)
Hosting set up specifically for WordPress, with the technical management handled for you. It's like a fully serviced office: everything is taken care of.
- Pros: tuned for WordPress, automatic updates, expert support, better security.
- Cons: only for WordPress, and it costs more than basic shared hosting.
- Best for: WordPress websites, businesses that want hands-off hosting, and security-conscious sites.
UK hosting vs international hosting
Where your website is hosted matters more than you might think, especially if your customers are in the UK.
| UK hosting | International hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed for UK visitors | Fast (the data stays local) | Slower (the data travels further) |
| Data protection | Simpler (the data stays under UK law) | More complex |
| Support hours | UK working hours | May be overnight |
| Typical price | £10 to £50 a month | £3 to £30 a month |
Tip: for Welsh and UK businesses, I'd recommend UK-based hosting. Faster loading for local visitors and simpler data protection are well worth the small price difference. All my care plans use UK servers.
What to look for in a hosting provider
Not all hosting is equal. These are the key things to check.
Uptime guarantee
Look for at least 99.9% uptime, which means your site is down for less than nine hours a year. Check whether the host gives you credit if it falls short.
Speed and performance
SSD storage is essential (it's much faster than older hard drives). Look for a CDN (content delivery network) and, for local businesses, servers in the UK.
Security features
A free SSL certificate is a must. Also look for firewalls, malware scanning, protection against DDoS attacks (floods of fake traffic) and automatic security updates.
Backups
Daily backups are essential. Check how long backups are kept and how easy they are to restore. Some hosts keep only seven days; others keep 30 or more.
Customer support
Round-the-clock support is ideal, and UK-based support means help during your working day. Check whether support is by chat, phone or tickets only.
Honest pricing
Watch out for low introductory prices that rise sharply at renewal. Check the actual renewal price before you sign up.
How much does web hosting cost in the UK?
A realistic guide to what UK small businesses pay for hosting.
| Type | Suits | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Budget shared hosting | Basic sites, personal projects | £3 to £10 a month |
| Good-quality shared hosting | Small business websites | £10 to £20 a month |
| Managed WordPress hosting | Professional business sites | £25 to £50 a month |
| VPS hosting | Growing businesses, online shops | £30 to £80 a month |
| Dedicated server | Large sites, enterprise | £80 to £300+ a month |
Watch out for hidden costs
- Renewal prices: many hosts offer cheap first-year rates that rise sharply on renewal.
- SSL certificates: these should be free, but some hosts charge £50 to £100 a year.
- Restoring backups: some hosts charge to restore your site from their own backups.
- Moving your site: migrating to another host later can cost £50 to £200 if it isn't included.
Hosting and care plans from Web Cardiff
If I've built your site, I can host it and look after it for you, so you don't need any technical knowledge. There are three care plans, with no contracts, and you can cancel whenever you like:
- Essential, £10 a month: UK hosting, an SSL certificate, daily backups, monitoring and security.
- Plus, £20 a month: everything in Essential, plus small changes each month.
- Pro, £30 a month: priority support and bigger changes.
The hosting provider guarantees 99.9% uptime. See my hosting and care plans for the details.
Questions people ask
What are the different types of web hosting?
The main types are shared hosting (the cheapest; your site shares a server's resources with others, from about £3 to £15 a month), VPS hosting (a virtual private server with its own resources, about £15 to £80 a month), dedicated hosting (a whole physical server to yourself, about £80 to £300 or more a month) and cloud hosting (resources spread across many servers that scale up and down, and you pay for what you use). Most small businesses start with shared or managed WordPress hosting.
How much does web hosting cost in the UK?
Typical UK prices are: shared hosting £3 to £15 a month, managed WordPress hosting £15 to £50 a month, VPS hosting £15 to £80 a month, dedicated servers £80 to £300 or more a month, and premium managed hosting £50 to £200 a month. Good UK-based hosting with decent support usually starts at around £10 to £25 a month for a small business website. My care plans start at £10 a month, including UK hosting, SSL, daily backups, monitoring and security.
What is the difference between UK and international hosting?
UK hosting keeps your website on servers in the United Kingdom. That means faster loading for UK visitors (the data travels a shorter distance), simpler data protection because the data stays under UK law, and support that's usually available during UK working hours. International hosting can be cheaper but may be slower for your customers and make data protection more complicated.
What should I look for in a hosting provider?
Look for an uptime guarantee of 99.9% or higher; good speed (SSD storage, ideally a CDN); security features (SSL certificates, firewalls, malware scanning); at least daily backups; good customer support (UK-based if possible); the option to upgrade easily; and honest pricing (watch out for big increases at renewal). For WordPress sites, choose a provider that specialises in WordPress hosting.
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is a premium service set up specifically for WordPress websites. The provider handles the technical side, such as WordPress updates, daily backups, security monitoring, performance tuning and expert support. It costs more than basic shared hosting (typically £15 to £50 a month) but saves you time and usually gives better security and performance. It suits businesses that want their website looked after for them.
Do I need web hosting if I have a domain name?
Yes. A domain name and web hosting are two separate things. Your domain name (like webcardiff.co.uk) is your website's address; hosting is where your website's files actually live. You need both for a working website. Think of the domain as your street address and the hosting as the building your business operates from.
What is uptime and why does it matter?
Uptime is the percentage of time your website is online and working. A 99.9% uptime guarantee means your site should be down for no more than about 8.7 hours a year. Downtime means lost visitors, lost sales and possible damage to your reputation, so good hosts guarantee at least 99.9%. The hosting provider I use guarantees 99.9% uptime, and I monitor the sites I look after so problems are spotted quickly.
What is an SSL certificate and do I need one?
An SSL certificate encrypts the data passing between your website and its visitors, shown by the padlock and 'https://' in the browser. You definitely need one: browsers mark sites without SSL as 'Not secure', it's essential for any forms or payments, and Google uses it as a ranking signal. Most good hosting providers include a free SSL certificate, and all my care plans include one.
Can I host my website myself?
Technically yes, but it isn't recommended for a business. Self-hosting needs a lot of technical knowledge, a computer running around the clock, a fast and reliable internet connection, and the skills to handle security, updates and maintenance. The cost of electricity, hardware and your time usually adds up to more than professional hosting, which is more reliable and secure and typically costs under £50 a month.